Number of experienced committee chairmen down from last year

OKLAHOMA CITY – About a third of the state’s lawmakers will be brand-new when they go to session in February, but they won’t be the only ones facing a learning curve.

Many of the state’s top committee chairmen either termed out or lost their bids for re-election this year, including the heads of the health committees in each chamber. Once bills are assigned to committees, those top-ranking members decide which bills will get to begin the legislative process and which to spike. Although seasoned members tend to take those spots, that won’t be the case for some of the positions this year.

The Senate announced its committee chair appointments this week, and two members who were elected in 2016 nabbed spots. State Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, will serve as the judiciary chairwoman. As the state continues its work on criminal justice reform and heads into its first legislative session after medical marijuana became legal, that post will prove important. State Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, will take over as the chairman of the rules committee. Given the significant turnover in the House of Representatives, it’s likely there will be committee leaders in that chamber with similar levels of experience.

Observers said that this isn’t the first time newer lawmakers have ended up in similar situations and that there are plenty of mechanisms in place to ensure they learn the ropes before getting to work.

The majority party leadership assigns members their committee chairmanships based on their backgrounds. For example, Daniels is a practicing attorney. The subject area likely won’t be the main issue.

University of Oklahoma political science professor Keith Gaddie said it’s the more technical side of lawmaking that will be confusing for these members.

“They’re going to be working on basic procedure,” he said.

They also won’t have amassed their own institutional knowledge, said former state lawmaker and former staffer Joe Dorman. Oklahoma hires nonpartisan staffers to help legislators from both parties understand policy and procedure, and they know their way around.

“Some of the House staffers I know have been there well over 30 years,” Dorman said.

When committee chairmen are choosing which bills deserve hearings, much of it will come down to personal preferences, he said, but the leadership will also weigh in, especially if a bill fits their overall agenda.

“And of course, you’re going to have outside influence,” he said.

That includes nonprofit awareness organizations, such as the one he heads up named the Institute for Child Advocacy. It also includes trade groups, industry representatives and lobbyists.

Fred Morgan, now president and CEO of the State Chamber of Oklahoma, was a state representative from 1994 to 2006. Morgan worked for the Oklahoma Senate president pro tempore in 2006 when the Republicans and Democrats were tied 24-24. He then became general counsel and senior policy adviser to the first Republican majority Senate in state history in 2008. He and his colleagues spent a significant amount of time working with new committee chairmen.

“The better educated and quicker you can get them up to speed, the easier it’s going to be during session,” he said. “I think there is a lot of effort trying to address that right now.”

In addition to the help from top-ranking members and less formal conversations with advocates and lobbyists, some organizations are offering training. The State Chamber is spending several days this week on its New Legislator Bootcamp, a crash course in 23rd and Lincoln for newly elected members.

Morgan said the spate of new lawmakers is no cause for concern, especially considering how curious they are.

“This is a pretty conscientious group, and they know there’s a lot to absorb,” he said. “Most of these people ran for office because they want to make a change and they want to do good. They’re eager to learn.”